


How Does Neil Really Feel? (Valentine's Day Prompt)

by Officialwinchester



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Cute, Fluff, M/M, TFC, Valentine’s Day, aftg, present exchange, rooftop, soft, these boys give me life, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 20:34:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13666797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Officialwinchester/pseuds/Officialwinchester
Summary: We often say that we “love” something. For example, “I love chocolate.” What is the difference between loving a person and loving a thing or activity?AKA- Nicky antagonizes Neil into buying a present for Andrew for Valentines Day.





	How Does Neil Really Feel? (Valentine's Day Prompt)

Prompt:  
1\. We often say that we “love” something. For example, “I love chocolate.” What is the difference between loving a person and loving a thing or activity?

Neil Josten would say he loved a lot of things. He loved Exy, god did he love Exy. Neil loved cats, his family of Foxes, and going on morning runs, only to come home and drink coffee with Andrew Minyard. But Andrew Minyard? Neil wasn’t sure what it was that he felt for Andrew, was it love? He didn’t know. His mom never taught him about love, or how to tell when you were in it. Neil figured his mom loved him, because she took him with her when they ran. But she also hit Neil - a lot. So love might not be the right word for that scenario. Neil knew how it was to love family, he had the Foxes and would do anything to keep every single one of them. But what Neil felt for Andrew was different. He wanted to kiss Andrew, he’d wanted to kiss people before so he didn’t think wanting to kiss them really defined love. Neil’s favorite part of the day was the time he got to spend with Andrew up on the roof stealing his cigarettes. Neil loved the way Andrew would scowl like he cared before lighting up a second one. Neil loved the way Andrew would always ask, “yes or no?” before he did anything to Neil, simply because he didn’t want to hurt him. Neil loved the way Andrew would eat his ice cream right out of the pint and wouldn’t use a bowl. It always made Neil smile and then he’d try to hide it when Andrew would raise an eyebrow and ask, “Problem?” with chocolate smeared on his lip, and Neil would just smiled even more and shake his head before turning his attention to something else. Neil knew he loved those things, but the way he felt about those things individually and the way he felt about Andrew were two different things. Neil was grateful for it, he liked the way Andrew made him feel. Andrew made his heart skip a beat, made him feel warm inside in a way Exy never did... But was it really love he felt for Andrew? 

-

Neil didn’t usually question these feelings, he wasn’t worried about them. He liked things the way they were he didn’t see a need for a label. But when Nicky bounced up to him February 13th in the locker room Neil realized it might matter just a little. “What did you get Andrew for Valentine’s Day?” Neil stared at Nicky confused. “Get what for what?” “Valentine’s Day. It’s tomorrow!” “So?” Nicky looked deflated, but as always he bounced right back. “On Valentine’s Day you’re supposed to get a present for the person you love and go out to dinner or stay in and watch a movie…. or you know.” Nicky wiggled an eyebrow. Neil certainly did not know. But he wasn’t going to ask what he meant, he was too worried about how he felt about Andrew. “What am I supposed to get him?” Nicky smiled brightly. “Oh this perfect!” He screamed. “Well~ Andrew loves chocolate, and the whole holiday is centered around chocolate!” That did sound like it made picking something out easier. “Oh, that’s easy then,” Nicky nodded clapping enthusiastically before dragging him out of the locker room. “-But Nicky-“ “Shut up Neil! Practice is over and we need to get you something for your boyfriend!” Nicky shouted pulling him through the parking lot to Allison’s bright pink convertible. “He’s not my-“ Neil got interrupted when Nicky hollered - “Allison!” Andrew, Aaron and Kevin were starring at them from across the parking lot. Nicky cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted. “Go on without us we have errands to run!” Kevin shouted back not to kill Neil since they had a game in two days, but Nicky ignored him in favor of turning back to Allison. “Allison we need to take Neil to the store.” “I love shopping. Get in.” “Neil needs to get Andrew a present for Valentine’s Day.” Nicky explained as the buckled up. Allison gasped, “I know just the place.” 

-

In that moment Neil wished he never left the court with Nicky. There was so much— pink. And red. There were stuffed animals all over the entrance to the grocery store, and then the isles upon isles of candy in red heart shaped boxes began. Neil had seen Valentine’s Day displays with his mom on the run, but he never paid attention to them until now. He really wished he’d asked his mother about what to get someone for Valentine’s Day, because he was sure the stuffed animals and candy boxes Allison and Nicky were dumping in the cart wouldn’t be right for Andrew. “Uh, guys…” Both of them stopped and turned to Neil. “Yes Neil?” Neil motioned to the cart. “I don’t… I don’t think-“ “Oh. Well, pick out something you think Andrew would like. You don’t have to go with this.” Neil felt relieved and missed the wink Allison shot Nicky. Neil walked around in circles trying to find the least pink box of candy. Finally Neil found a pink box that wasn’t shaped like a heart and had candy he could actually recognize as things Andrew liked. He tossed it in the overflowing cart and told Allison and Nicky it was time to go. 

-

Neil carried the single box of candy up to the roof where Andrew already had his legs dangling over the side and was smoking. He sat down next to Andrew who didn’t even look up at him, and threw the candy box at him before stealing Andrew’s cigarette. “Everything’s fucking pink,” Neil snapped taking a drag of the stolen cigarette. Andrew didn’t say anything, but he also didn’t turn away from Neil or light another cigarette. Neil started to wonder if he wasn’t supposed to get anything for Andrew at all. Even though Neil could feel Andrew’s piercing stare, he didn’t turn to stare back, he was concentrating on keeping the blush off of his face. He didn’t know if Andrew was glaring at him, was annoyed, or if the look was curious or not. Neil didn’t particularly want to find out, he was leaning more towards annoyed. Andrew tilted his head to the side before he stole his cigarette back and tucked the box of candy close to his side. “What.” Andrew asked flatly. “What?” Neil asked back, his voice came out smaller than he’d hoped for. “What are you acting like that for Junkie?” Neil just shrugged and tried to count to ten in every language he knew. 

They sat on the roof in silence just long enough for Andrew to go through one more cigarette, before they wandered back to the dorm together. Andrew opened the door and stopped so quickly Neil bumped into him. Neil peaked around him and saw everything Allison and Nicky had shoved into the cart yesterday. Andrew turned back to Neil with wide eyes and Neil shook his head. “Oh no don’t look at me! Nicky-“ Apparently that was all Andrew needed to hear, because he walked past all of the stuff and a clapping and jumping Nicky, into the bedroom where he shut the door. Neil sent a nasty look Nicky’s way before walking back out fo the dorm and up to the roof. Why couldn’t Nicky just listen to Neil? Why did he have to interfere? Why couldn’t Neil name what he felt for Andrew? Neil leaned against the concrete of the ventilation system by the edge of the roof and pulled his knees up to his chest… Was Andrew mad at him? Embarrassed? Neil had no clue. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. 

A few minutes of Neil’s rapid thinking staring out over the campus passed before the door to the roof squeaked open. Andrew padded over and sat down next to Neil, a little closer than usual and then balanced a box with ugly red paper on top of Neil’s knees. Neil turned to Andrew but he was already smoking and looking away. Neil carefully popped the box open and smiled at the small lighter inside of the box. It was orange and had fox paw prints on it to make it look like a fox had walked on it. 

Neil heard crinkling next to him, and then felt something softly thud into the side of his head. He looked down in his lap, and smiled at the piece of chocolate Andrew threw at him. “Thanks to Nicky I’m going to be eating this shitty holiday candy for months.” Neil’s heart skipped a beat, did he mess up too? “At least you looked at the back before you bought this one.” Oh. Neil smiled and turned to Andrew who was crunching a piece of chocolate from the box Neil gave him. Neil stared at Andrew as he smoked. “Guess I’ll be stealing even more cigarettes now.” Andrew scoffed. “Buy your own, cigarettes are expensive.” Neil smiled and picked the cigarette box up that was next to Andrew’s leg. They box knew Andrew didn’t care if Neil used his cigarettes or not- and Neil also knew this wouldn’t stop him from stealing cigarettes from Andrew’s mouth every now and then. “So…” Andrew turned to Neil and raised an eyebrow. “Spit it out Junkie.” Neil thought for a second. “Yes, or no?” “Yes.” Andrew didn’t even hesitate. Neil smiled and pressed a careful kiss to Andrew’s cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day?” Neil’s smile grew as he watched a flustered Andrew - a very rare sight- try to light another cigarette. 

Staring at Andrew’s flustered face on the rooftop Neil knew what this feeling he had towards Andrew was… but he didn’t have to admit it out loud.


End file.
